Meet The Team: opendorse Walk-Up Songs

Major League Baseball’s postseason finally begins tonight as the Yankees and Astros meet in the American League Wild Card Game. As anticipation for October baseball peaked, the opendorse team decided to get in on the action in the only way we knew how: determining our individual walk-up songs.

Walk-up songs are the anthem played in ball parks as a batter walks to the plate, or as a pitcher leaves the bullpen. They can become a part of a player’s persona. Their identity. Their swagger. Any baseball fan recognizes the opening chords of Enter Sandman and associates the song with former Yankee closer, Mariano Rivera, and his iconic entrance. These songs allow players to have some fun, show their personality, and set the tone for their performance.

After much discussion, Spotify-ing, and anticipation, we’re finally ready to let our walk-up songs shine. Whether it’s driving to work, taking a kickball deep, or prepping for a meeting, these are the songs that get the opendorse team ready to knock it out of the park.

Ella Wirtz | Project Manager

Walk-Up Song: All I Do Is Win | DJ Khaled
“It’s the power of thinking positively 🙂 ”

Adi Kunalic | COO

Walk-Up Song: Can You Feel It? | Michael Jackson
“During Nebraska home games, this was the song they played right before every kick-off. It always got my adrenaline going and I would immediately get dialed in.”

Brooke Jensen | Operations Manager

Walk-Up Song: I Love It 9 | Icona Pop
“Because, when I’m being honest with myself and the pitcher, I really don’t care. I’d rather be in the dugout drinking beer and eating seeds.”

Sam Weber | Marketing Coordinator

Walk-Up Song: Keep Their Heads Ringing | Dr. Dre
“I mean, come on. Keep Their Heads Ringing was made to be a walk-up song. When the chorus hits, that poor pitcher will know I’m about to hit a dinger. My Little League performance peaked — seriously — with a bunt. I’m confident that my baseball career would have turned out far differently had I been able to hear to this song on my way to the plate from ages six through twelve.”

Brandon Barnes | Data Specialist

Walk-Up Song: God’s Gonna Cut You Down | Johnny Cash
“Even though there aren’t walk-up songs in slow-pitch softball, I will play this song in my head before smacking a double to left field!”

Kaci Hixson | Campaign Manager

Walk-Up Song: Bring Em Out | T.I.
“I chose this song because when I was twelve, it was one of the 20 songs I uploaded onto my first mp3 player (it ran on AA batteries). This was the best song in my “pump up” playlist that I would listen to before each of my sporting events. Bring Em Out brings back memories of being absolutely dominant in twelve and under club volleyball where my athletic career reached its peak. #memories #ballin”

Cody Neer | Manager of Brand Relations

Walk-Up Song: Buy Me A Boat | Chris Janson
“The only reason people wake up daily and go to work is to make money. Seems everyone tries to tell me money can’t buy you everything from happiness, love, and success — what it can buy is a BOAT, a truck to pull it, and a YETI 110 iced down with some Silver Bullets!”

Andrew Venrick | VP of Talent

Clayton Henderson | Product Development Intern

Walk-Up Song: Hood Go Crazy | Tech N9ne
“Tech N9ne is a KC native like myself, so that, coupled with the fact that this song is straight DOPE. Definitely earns the title of ‘walk-up song.’ I actually call ahead to house parties that I go to and have them play it right as I’m walking in.”

Derek Peterson | VP of Marketing Agency Relations

Walk-Up Song: The Show Goes On | Lupe Fiasco
“The Show, in this case, is you. It’s time to go on when you’re heading to the plate to bat. So The Show is literally going on. You know, rational thoughts.”

Laura Bergen | User Interface Specialist

Walk-Up Song: Black Skinhead | Kanye West
“The first 25 seconds of this song is fire. Its addition to The Wolf of Wall Street trailer was magic. If it’s good enough for a Martin Scorsese film, it’s good enough for me.”

Tim Braun | CIO

Walk-Up Song: Hysteria | Muse
“Every time I hear Hysteria by Muse, my adrenaline starts to pump and I have the urge to go into a blood-rage and start kicking down walls. I feel if that energy could be translated into a single point (vis-à-vis contact with a baseball), I would hit fairly well.”

Tim Engelhaupt | Product Team Lead

Walk-Up Song: The Pot | Tool
“Love the intro to this song.”

Casey Seberger | Student Worker

Walk-Up Song: The Next Episode (San Holo Remix) | Dr. Dre, San Holo
“This is a song you can’t help but nod your head to. And, come on, when that beat drops… fire. #homerzfadayz”

Ben Swift | VP of Product Development

Walk-Up Song: Sirius | The Alan Parsons Project
“Great memories of the watching the announcement of the Chicago Bulls starting lineup when Michael Jordan was in his prime.”

Rachel VanBoening | Full Stack Developer

Walk-Up Song: The Outsiders | Eric Church
“This song embodies my personally and my passions. It’s the perfect pick for my walk-up song, if I do say so myself. To start with, the crowd should know, I’m country and so is Eric Church (he’s my homeboy). The lyrics embody this rough, unique, hardworking persona and I think that really embodies me. It takes a unique personality to be a developer and designer and I have a passion to code, develop and design everyday. Also, being a part of team opendorse, we do things like “paint where there ain’t supposed to be paint.” Our business model is unique and new, which is exciting to be a part of. What can I say, That’s who we are. That’s how we roll.”

Jeff Harris | Marketing Team

Walk-Up Song: Angels Fall | Breaking Benjamin
“It only makes sense that my walk-up song comes from my favorite song from my favorite bands latest album. After a 5 year hiatus, Breaking Benjamin released their new album, “Dark Before Dawn”, earlier this year and it’s like they never stopped playing. What I love most about “Angels Fall” is not only the music but also the message behind the lyrics. It’s a great reminder that no matter the adversity you can always push through.”

Patrick Hayes | Talent Coordinator

Walk-Up Song: ‘Till I Collapse | Eminem
“When I hear this song, it’s go time. No matter where I’m at or what I’m doing, I get pumped up. I also played that before high school soccer games and had three goals that season. Hey, three is better than none at all.”

Abbie Giffin | Creative Manager

Walk-Up Song: X Gon’ Give It To Ya | DMX
“I chose it because it’s a good pump-up song. It lets the other team know they’re about to go down.”